The Supreme Court senior advocate is “deeply honoured” to be nominated
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE VIA INSTAGRAM (@MENAK. GURUSWAMY)
Menaka Guruswamy could make history as India’s first LGBTQIA+ member of Parliament, after being nominated to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India’s parliament.
The Supreme Court senior advocate became a national figure following her work in challenging Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code. Section 377 criminalised “unnatural offences”, which would target LGBTQIA+ people. In 2018, Guruswamy was among the lawyers who helped bring about a landmark verdict in the Supreme Court decriminalising same-sex relations.
In India, members of the Rajya Sabha are elected by state legislators rather than by a public vote. Last month, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) announced its candidates, with Guruswamy included in the mix. The TMC are expected to secure multiple seats, making Guruswamy’s election look likely.
Guruswamy’s reputation has extended beyond India, and in 2019, she was included on the Time 100 list of the world’s most influential people. She has her portrait displayed at both Harvard Law School and Oxford’s Rhodes House as a testament to her legacy.
Writing on X, Guruswamy said that she was “deeply honoured” to be nominated to the Rajya Sabha. She continued: “Our Constitution’s values of equality, fraternity & non-discrimination have guided my life & work, I hope to carry these ideals forward into Parliament. I look forward to representing the interests of the people of West Bengal & to serve ‘We the People’ of India.”
The Rajya Sabha elections are scheduled to be held on 16 March.
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